Once Said
by AgentoftheDark
Summary: When Draco is forced into a marriage contract by his parents, he has to say goodbye. But it is difficult saying goodbye to your everything.


A/n: I would love any criticism or thoughts that you can provide! This story is inspired by the story LoveForget, by the author, Day Met the Night, which I would definitely recommend reading! **I don't own Harry Potter or anything in the Harry Potter Universe. **

_Once Said_

He finds her in the choir room, playing a soft, soothing melody on the grand piano (she deserves the best). He shuts the door quietly and stands there, basking in the music. Once the song is done, his mouth forms her name in murmur.

"Granger."

He hopes for a reaction, acknowledgement of his presence but she turns a page in her book and begins to play a pulsating but angry song. He feels his temper rise.

Stomping across the room like a mad-man, he arrives at the lid prop and smacks it. The lid slams shut and startles both parties, causing them to look up, of course immediately drawn to each other's eyes. Grey clashes with hazel, a honey like colour as he had once said. She stares back down at the piano's keys before abruptly standing up and glaring, hard. Straight. At. Him. He gives a sheepish grin before grabbing her wrists, with her protesting about the beginning of abuse, sitting them down on the steps.

He glances up at her, after an awkward silence, and concentrates on her features, memorizing them, as if his life depends on it (maybe it does). After all, getting married to another woman (who is _not_ your true love) is hard enough. But leaving your true love hurts like nothing else.

"I wish that this wedding was for us you know," she finally states, "You and I, the Slytherin Prince and the Gryffindor Princess."

He responds with hope, "It could be. If I break the engagement contract, we could have it all."

The rational part of her brain takes over, "No, you are to marry Astoria. It will save your family's image and I am not willing to put you at risk of your father's wrath. I can settle with knowing that you're safe."

He stares, again, and nearly screams in frustration. Why is she so stubborn? "I don't want you to settle!"

She merely replies with ease, "If I can't have you, I won't have anyone else. If I have to, I will settle for just half of your heart because even half of you makes me happy."

"You will always have all of my heart... Hermione."

She whips her face up towards his, shocked that he said her first name, which gives him the opportunity to steal a kiss.

Soon, they are wrapped up in an embrace that only two people so in love, it hurts to be apart, can experience.

She straddles him and arches her back giving him access to her neck. His mind is focused on her, senses consumed by _her._ Her scent fills his nose, her touch sets him on fire, her taste, unmatchable. She makes his heart pound, and seeing her sends him into a whirlwind.

He tries not to let negative thoughts in. He tries not to let the insecurity of her finding someone else consume him but the thoughts and feelings overwhelm him. Losing her just hurts. That feeling in your stomach when... something is about to happen, it makes him cringe. But soon his mind drifts to a day that he has always dreamt about: their wedding day.

She would be in a beautiful, white dress, hugging her curves. She would be smiling at him as she walked down the aisle. They would join hands and after the vows were done, he would gather her into his arms and just kiss her.

He is pulled from his daydream just as her lips leave his. She looks hurt. He realizes that he wasn't kissing her back, too lost in what could be, and what won't be. She breaks his hold on her and stalks out of the room, Apparating away. He grabs onto her arm quickly and feels the pull in his stomach. They land in her room.

She pulls her hand away and goes around busying herself with cleaning up. It soon comes to his attention that she is packing. Putting things in boxes, organizing, and throwing things away, like a picture of them. She had picked up the photo of them wrapped up together, at Ginny and Blaise's engagement party, and began walking to the trashcan.

He accios the picture, dragging her along with it till she is seated in his lap and he is holding the picture to his chest. She glares, gets up, and starts packing again. All he can do is watch until she is suddenly standing in the centre of the common room, with all her belongings shrunk down, and put into a larger box.

His throat closes up. She really is leaving isn't she?

She turns around and stares into his eyes. She still can't read him. After months on frolicking around she realizes she loves him. But while she might be the "Brightest Witch of Her Age", she still can't get everything she wants, no one can. But she realizes that all she wants is him. She doesn't want anything else. Why can't she just have him?

She turns and apparates away with all her things.

When the reality of the moment hits him, his gaze focuses on the exact place where she _stood_. She isn't standing there anymore, isn't standing in his life anymore.

**19 Years Later**

When they see each other at the train station, he _has _to steal a glance at her. She is standing tall and strong beside the Weasel. He feels his heart sink. What did he expect though? That she would be waiting for him with open arms and invite him over whenever the Weasel wasn't there? They catch each other's eye, staring back intensely, and grey clashes with hazel-a honey, as he had once said.


End file.
